Online Sports Council

The 2016 Winter Meetings are over, but the offseason action is still getting started.

While it is easier to complete deals when everyone is in the same location, not a single team is settled heading into the 2017 season. Everyone is going to be looking for upgrades, either through trades or free agency, to help improve the roster before pitchers and catchers report.

Here are some of the latest rumors surrounding trades that could still go down in the coming days or weeks.

Nationals Still Looking for a Closer

The Washington Nationals made a splash at the winter meetings with the addition of Adam Eaton in exchange for some of their best prospects, via ESPN.

However, the team still needs a closer after losing Mark Melancon to free agency and missing out on bidding wars for Wade Davis and Aroldis Chapman. Undoubtedly, the front office will keep looking for more options to solidify the back of the bullpen.

Mark Zuckerman of MASN reported in addition to targeting free agent Kenley Jansen, there is trade interest in both David Robertson and Alex Colome.

Colome is coming off by far his best season, finishing with a 1.91 ERA and 37 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports provided his thoughts on the potential deal:

Acquiring Robertson would likely be cheaper in terms of prospects. While he has been an effective closer in each of the past three years, he only has a 3.44 ERA in two seasons with the Chicago White Sox.

It would also be an interesting situation between two teams that already completed a trade for Eaton this week. As Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted, the Nationals tried to pair Robertson in the same deal, but the White Sox chose to make it a separate transaction.

Considering how much Washington had to give up for Eaton, including top prospect Lucas Giolito, the team might want to hold off on sending more young players to the same organization.

Still, the Nationals will need a closer in order to compete with the best teams in the National League and won’t be shy about getting one.

Padres Need a Shortstop

Luis Sardinas finished the year as the starting shortstop for the San Diego Padres and played well, but the organization isn’t ready to commit to him being the full-time option going forward.

General manager A.J. Preller provided his thoughts on the 23-year-old, per A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com:

Sardinas showed, in a brief stint, that he has the capability to be a solid Major League player. There are some things he needs to work on, some areas he needs to improve with. I don’t think he showed us he’s going to be a lockdown guy there for the next three years. But he showed he has a chance to compete for that job.

This basically means the team will add someone else before the start of the year. Considering the lack of quality options in free agency, it appears the squad will have to look for a trade to find any upgrade.

Cassavell noted the recent activity to accomplish this goal:

Both Jose Iglesias and Hanser Alberto are defensive-minded shortstops who would greatly improve the infield in San Diego.

The Tigers have confirmed interest in Iglesias, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. While consistency has been an issue, he still hits well enough to help any lineup, including a .300 season in 2015 when he was named an All-Star.

On the other hand, Alberto would be mostly projection after hitting just .194 with two walks in 162 career plate appearances. He still has a lot of upside, though, giving San Diego a potential cornerstone on a rebuilding team.

Per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Rangers could be interested in Travis Jankowski in a potential deal. While the center fielder has shown potential, he is also expendable due to a logjam in the outfield.

If the Padres are willing to part with him or another quality player, they could find a deal they are looking for.

Mets Trying to Dump Jay Bruce

As most teams are looking for upgrades at certain positions, the New York Mets are doing whatever they can to get rid of their slugger.

After re-signing YoenisCespedes on a four-year deal, the team now has too many corner outfielders with Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce and Michael Conforto all likely to compete for playing time in right field.

This leaves Bruce as the likely odd man out after a miserable second half of the season with the team. The left-handed hitter began 2016 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI in 97 games for the Cincinnati Reds, but he struggled mightily after being dealt to the Mets before the deadline.

He hit just .219 in New York over the final two months while his OPS dropped from .875 to .685.

Sullivan reported interest from the Rangers in a potential deal for Bruce:

Mike Puma of the New York Post also added the Toronto Blue Jays as a potential suitor along with Texas, although they are “showing minimal interest, according to source.”

The fact is Bruce is still likely to be traded, even if the Mets need to reduce their offer. They picked up his $13 million option as a hedge in case Cespedes left town, but now they are on the hook for that money for a player who doesn’t fit into the lineup.

Considering Bruce hit 33 home runs last season—the fourth time in six seasons he hit 30 home runs—there should still be plenty of demand before the start of 2017. If the Mets are patient, they will eventually find a trade partner.